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Catecholamines in Urine

Test Overview

Catecholamines (say "kat-uh-KOH-luh-meens") are hormones made mostly by your adrenal glands as a reaction to stress.

When you feel stressed, these hormones
increase heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, muscle strength, and
mental alertness. They also lower the amount of blood that goes to the skin and intestines. They increase blood going to the major organs, such as the brain, heart, and
kidneys. This helps your body prepare for "fight-or-flight"
reactions.

Your body breaks down these hormones and passes them into your urine. This test measures how much of these hormones are in your urine over a 24-hour period.

Why It Is Done

A
catecholamine test is done to help diagnose a rare tumor in
the adrenal glands called a pheochromocytoma.

Tumors like this can cause your adrenal glands to release too many hormones. And that can cause high
blood pressure, excessive sweating, headaches, fast heartbeats,
and tremors.

How To Prepare

You may be asked to avoid certain foods and fluids for 2 to 3 days before the test. They include:

Caffeine, such as coffee, tea, cocoa, and
chocolate.

Amines. These are found in bananas, walnuts, avocados,
fava beans, cheese, beer, and red wine.

Any foods or fluids with
vanilla.

Licorice.

Do not use tobacco at all during the 24-hour urine
collection.

Be sure to keep warm during the 24 hours. Being cold can raise your catecholamine levels.

Many medicines can change
the results of this test. Be sure to tell your doctor about all the
over-the-counter and prescription medicines you take.

Your doctor may ask you to stop certain medicines, such as blood
pressure medicines, before the test. Do not take cold or allergy remedies, aspirin, or diet pills for 2 weeks before the
test.

Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have about
the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will
mean. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the
medical test information form(What is a PDF document?).

How It Is Done

This test is usually done at home. You must collect all the urine you produce in a 24-hour period.

You start collecting your urine in the morning.
When you first get up, empty your bladder. But do not save this urine. Write
down the time that you urinated to mark the beginning of your 24-hour
collection period.

For the next 24 hours, collect all your urine.
Your doctor or lab will usually provide you with a large container that holds
about 1 gal (4 L). The
container has a small amount of preservative in it. Urinate into a small, clean
container. Then pour the urine into the large container. Don't touch the
inside of the container with your fingers.

Keep the large container
in the refrigerator when you aren't using it.

Empty your bladder for the
last time at or just before the end of the 24-hour period. Add this urine to
the large container, and record the time.

Do not get toilet paper,
pubic hair, stool (feces), menstrual blood, or other foreign matter in the
urine sample.

How It Feels

Taking a 24-hour urine sample does not cause pain.

Risks

A 24-hour urine sample doesn't cause any problems.

Results

A test for catecholamines measures the
amount of the hormones epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the urine. The test also usually measures the amounts of vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), metanephrine, and normetanephrine.

Normal

These numbers are just a guide. The range for "normal" varies from lab to lab. Your lab may have a different range. Your lab report should show what range your lab uses for "normal." Also, your doctor will evaluate your results based on your health and other factors. So a number that is outside the normal range here may still be normal for you.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.